auto lifts for garage Archives

Storing Outdoor or Camping Gear in Overhead Areas of the Garage

June 7, 2018 by Rick Scully

With the kids nearly out of school and the great weather all around us, we can’t help but think of getting away. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the city for the quieter and more peaceful surroundings of being near nature is one of many people’s favourite summer activities. We may have grown up camping during our childhood or we may just enjoy connecting with the outdoors and nature. Either way, summer is definitely the season to spend more of our time outdoors.

Many of us enjoy the summer on or in the water. We bring our kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddle boards to the cottage or campground. Or, we may even want to make sure that we maximize our time outdoors while getting more exercise when we’re on vacation. We may want the whole family to cycle to the general store, the beach or around the campground while we’re away. So, we’ll want to haul the bikes on a rack at the rear of our vehicle or SUV.

The Thule or Yakima racks, hitches and cargo boxes make it all possible for us to carry sleeping bags, tents, kayaks, bikes and much more for the summer adventure but when it’s time for the family to return home, where will we store it all? Well, we have some garage storage solutions that make it easy and convenient not only to store the gear but also make it easy to pack up our vehicles for the adventures that await us this summer.

Of course, overhead storage solutions is the best way to get the most out of our garage space. This allows us to keep things out of the way until we are ready to use them or access them frequently. Let’s discuss some of the garage storage options. Or, you can get a complimentary in-home consultation for a garage renovation to discuss how to use the space overhead to maximize your garage for your family lifestyle.

Hydraulic Overhead Storage Lifts

Not only are the hydraulic lifts an easy way to whisk bulky items upwards and out of sight, they are also easy on people who want unload or retrieve those bulky items safely from their location up high. Most families use these hydraulic storage lifts to store bulky items such as Thule cargo boxes, bikes, kayaks, canoes, stand up paddle boards and golf clubs into the empty overhead spaces. So, whether you’re over 6 feet tall and the strongest member of your household or you’re 8 years old and trying to retrieve your bike to get to school, the hydraulic lift can be operated by just about every family member regardless of the their size, strength or stature.

An option to the hydraulic overhead storage lift is the manually operated lift which can be installed safely and securely to hold a few hundred pounds of bikes, sporting gear or cargo boxes. Any of the lifts can be positioned to lower to an exact spot in the garage for handy retrieval or mounting. For instance, many of our lifts for Thule racks and cargo boxes are positioned so that when lowered, they will sit directly over the vehicle’s rack system. From there, just strap the cargo box securely to the roof of the SUV, minivan or other vehicle and it is ready to load with the family’s toys and sports gear.

Made-to-Measure Overhead Storage Platforms

One of the most versatile of the overhead storage mediums is the custom made-to-measure overhead platforms which are secured to the ceiling with airline cables making them capable of supporting several hundred pounds of items per square foot of space. Undermount pot lights add visibility for a workspace just below or to the overall brightness of the garage. The whole platform can be finished and painted to match the colours of the garage.

They can run along the sides and back wall of the garage so that it optimizes the overhead storage space. The platforms are designed just deep enough so that most adults can reach to the back of the platform and retrieve any item stored along the back edge against the wall.

Using overhead storage to store items which are not in season or used rarely is the ideal way to leverage this type of storage medium. Some examples of storage items include seasonal items such as tires which are swapped twice a year or holiday decorations which are used once a year. When it comes to sports equipment, snowboards are accessed frequently throughout winter but then, it becomes wakeboards in summer. Tools such as snow shovels and salt in winter which are required weekly or daily are then swapped out for rakes and lawn mowers which are necessities to maintain our yard or garden in summer.

Overhead Storage Racks

Overhead storage racks are typically stainless steel with a mesh platform so that items stored on it can be seen from underneath as well as all four sides in many cases. Again, they do need to be mounted to the ceiling securely but once this is done, they can carry anywhere from a few to several hundred pounds worth of your belongings. Because they can be accessed from all four sides, the rack can have a larger dimension but not too large that people can’t reach the centre of the rack for the item that gets tossed there.

A lot of people use these racks for things such as tents, sleeping bags and other items which require a bit more storage space while also needing some air circulation. Both the racks as well as the platforms may require a step ladder for people to retrieve or store the items. Now, if the garage is quite tall then there are some additional custom built solutions which are also easier to use.

Overhead Storage Mezzanine

The storage mezzanine comes with a glass railing so that it is easy to see the items being stored above and prevents things from being knocked off the mezzanine. Built-in stairs or a pull-down loft ladder which lower to the garage floor and tuck away flush with the mezzanine floor make access to the mezzanine convenient. The stairs are weighted so that they only require a small effort to pull down or push back up into place.

Because family members are meant to walk up onto the mezzanine, it is sturdy enough to carry people as well as a wide variety of belongings. Some of the access options include the elevator style electric stairs or ladders or in one case, an auto lift was used to port the homeowners to the mezzanine level to retrieve stored items. Each mezzanine is made-to-measure with options to suit the homeowners and their families.

Plan a Garage Renovation

If you are in need of some extra storage space, all that we need to do is look upwards for the answer. To plan a garage renovation, start with a complimentary in-home consultation to understand the full range of possibilities that would suit your garage and your family’s lifestyle.

Seven Ways to Make Your Garage More Green

April 22, 2014 by Rick Scully

Today, the world is celebrating Earth Day, a day for renewed appreciation of the earth and the environment. It’s also an excellent time to examine ways that we can live a more earth-friendly lifestyle. We often consider how to make our homes greener. Yet, an important part of our homes is often overlooked: the garage. However, there are several ways, big and small, that we can incorporate our garages in the plan to make our homes more eco-friendly.

Get Green Garage Doors

If you have an attached garage, a significant amount of heating and cooling energy escapes your home through the garage. A lack of insulation in the garage door, coupled with its frequent opening and closing, can make your garage extremely cold in the winter and uncomfortably warm in the summer. Any room sharing a wall with your garage will experience energy loss. However, an insulated, energy-efficient garage door can mitigate the temperature difference, reducing energy loss by more than seventy percent. This results in considerable savings on your energy bill.

Energy-efficient garage doors are more expensive. So do your research and check the R-value of any door you’re considering. This number represents the door’s ability to resist heat flow (in or out). The higher the R-value is, the stronger the door’s insulation properties. In addition to being energy-efficient, many green garage doors are made of recycled material.

Use Solar Power to Light Your Garage

Looking for a way to reduce your energy bill while also keeping your home safe? Install solar-powered floodlights and/or lanterns on the garage exterior. Install solar-powered spotlights along your driveway. These energy-saving lights are reasonably-priced at a local big box store and can be installed fairly easily. Solar-powered lights will make your home safer and more beautiful. The energy savings you’ll enjoy can quickly recoup the cost of the lighting.

Make the Switch from Incandescent Bulbs

You might not be prepared to invest in solar-powered indoor lighting. Yet, there’s another way to go green with your indoor lighting. Make the switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED bulbs. CFL or LED bulbs will cost a bit more than incandescent light bulbs. However, an incandescent bulb lasts for about a year while a CFL bulb can last up to ten years and an LED bulb can last up to twenty-five years. CFL and LED lights are also more efficient in their energy use, unlike incandescent bulbs which waste up to 90% of their energy consumption on heat, rather than light.

Use Lighting with Motion Detectors

Take the energy-efficiency of your outdoor and indoor lighting one step further by incorporating motion detectors. Exterior lighting with motion sensors provides an additional layer of security to your home. Inside the garage, lights with motion sensors will automatically shut off when there is no movement in the garage. This eliminates the energy waste experienced when someone inadvertently leaves the lights on inside the garage.

Mind the Gaps

Another place where energy is lost in your home is through the gaps between the walls and floor of your garage. Over time the garage settles and the spaces between the floor and the walls widen. Heating and cooling is lost through these gaps as air escapes into the garage. This can be resolved with a relatively simple and inexpensive fix. Get some caulk and a caulk gun and fill in the spaces. Talk to the clerk at your local hardware store to ensure that you purchase the appropriate caulk for the job.

Put your hand near the perimeter of the door between the house and the garage. Do you feel a draft? If so, cold air is seeping into the house through the gap around your door. Close this conduit for drafty air with inexpensive weather stripping. It’s an incredibly simple job that you can do in less than an hour with a few simple tools. Weather stripping will make your home warmer and more comfortable, plus you’ll see a reduction in your energy bills.

There’s one more gap that needs minding. Since there isn’t a visible gap around your electrical outlets and lighting fixtures, you might not realize that air can also seep through the spaces around them. Additionally, carbon monoxide fumes can escape from your garage into your home through those fixtures. To remedy the situation, simply buy an inexpensive package of fire-resistant foam seals made for this purpose. Remove the faceplate. Place the seal. Replace the faceplate. Voila! You’re done. After you’ve sealed all of the faceplates between the house and garage, put seals on all outlets and light switches on exterior walls inside your home for maximum benefit.

Capture and Reuse Rainwater

Take your commitment to going green up a notch by capturing and reusing rain water for jobs that don’t require potable water. For instance, recycled rainwater can be used to water the lawn, wash the car or bathe the dog. Purchase a rain barrel and then install it in three easy steps. Measure the height of the barrel. Cut the downspout. Then install the elbow that will divert rainwater into your barrel. The next time it rains you’ll be collecting fresh water. The best part? You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a reduced water bill.

Install a Car Charging Station in Your Garage

What better way is there to make your garage greener than to switch to an eco-friendly vehicle, like a hybrid or all-electric car? If you’re considering making the switch, there’s one more eco-friendly element you’ll need to add to your garage. You’ll need to install Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), or what is often called a car “charging” station. This allows for convenient, overnight charging of your vehicle.

Doing our part to help the environment may feel overwhelming, at times. However, a greener lifestyle doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposal. Every little bit helps. Start by incorporating one or two green initiatives into your daily lifestyle. Do the options discussed here seem like more than you’re ready to take on alone? If you want to make your garage greener, but you aren’t sure how request a garage renovation consultation. Alternately, you can start smaller. Check our most recent post for seven easy ways to go green this spring.

A Brief History of Garages

February 21, 2012 by Rick Scully

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to discuss the evolution of garages: from sheds to what have been called ‘Garage Mahals‘, home extensions that contain everything from work stations to interlocking floor tiles to hydraulic lifts.

The word garage comes from the French garer – to shelter or protect. It’s an apt name because that’s effectively what garages do. They protect our cars from the elements.

During the early part of the 20th century, cars weren’t that common because they were expensive. The first garages were just converted carriage houses that were remodeled to fit cars rather than horses. Garages that were designed for cars didn’t become common until the early 1920s when car sales increase. However, demand grew quickly.

By 1925, in fact, garages were on people’s must have lists. According to the June 1925 issue of Atlantic Monthly, ” the first question asked by the prospective buyer is about the garage. The house without a garage is a slow seller.”

These garages were mostly stand-alone structures, built away from the main house. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that builders started to incorporate garages as part of the house design. Before this, drivers had to brave the elements when getting from their garage to their home.

Carports became popular in the 60s as a low-cost alternative to a garage – often just roof and four posts, they were popular in warmer parts of North America.

The next major change happened in the 80s. Garages were built to be conspicuous and large, to make room for families with multiple cars. Thankfully today they’re now being built to be less obtrusive.

The first patent for an automatic garage door opener was issued in 1937, but oddly enough, it didn’t really become popular until the late 1960s.

Fun fact: many businesses have been started in garages, including Hewlett Packard, Walt Disney, Apple Computers and Motown Records.

FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION